gould



2 SheetsSheet 1( (No Model.)

S. 0. GOULD. REGISTER FOR COUNTING THE REVOLUTIONS OR STROKES 0FMACHINES,

No. 458,897. Patented Sept. 1,1891.

(No Model.) v2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. 0. GOULD.

' REGISTER FOR COUNTING THE REVOLUTIONS 0R STROKES 0P MACHINES.

No. 458,897. Patented Sept. 1,1891.

Y 35 carrying-shaft.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER ONSLOVV GOULD, OF LOCKPORT, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-Tl-IIRD TO XVASHINGTON H. RANSOM, OF SAME PLACE.

REGISTER FOR COUNTING THE REVOLUTIONS OR STROKES OF MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,897, datedSeptember 1, 1891.

Application filed September 17, 1889. Serial No. 324,271. (llo model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYLvEsrER ONsLow GOULD, of the city of Lockport,county of Niagara, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Counting- Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in counting-machines in whichnumerals on the exterior periphery of countingwheels are brought inregular succession to a line oraperture so as to count each successiverevolution or stroke of machinery with which the counting-machine isconnected and show the r 5 number thereof.

The objects of my improvements are, first, to simplify the constructionof counting-machines; second, to reduce the friction in and powerrequired to operate them; third, to secure greater accuracy in theiroperation; fourth, to operate all the counting-wheels by a single bladeor pawl; fifth, to hold all the counting-wheels from reverse motion byone spring. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying new and amended drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front viewof my improved counting machine. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3is a horizontal section taken 0 on the line 3 3, and Fig. 4 is across-sectional view of the same, taken on the line at 4-. Fig. 5 is adetached view of the several numbered wheels or rings. Fig. 6 is anenlarged detailed view principally of the blade and its Fig. 7 is adetailed vertical section of. the actuating-lever and its adj unctiveparts. Figs. 8 and 9 are detached views of the spring for retaining thenumbered wheel or ring.

Similarlettersreferto similar parts throughout the several views.

The slot in the rock-shaft G is out nearly through its diameter in aplane passing through its axis and longitudinallyfrom near the left endplate K to a point far enough to the right of the collar on shaft 0 toenable the slot to receive the heel of the blade D, as hereinafterdescribed and substantially as shown. In the slot the blade D is placedand pivoted to shaft 0 through the collar, substantially as shown, sothat the heel or shorter arm of blade D is on the right side of the collar. Blade D moves loosely on its pivot, and the difierence in thelength of its arms causes a slight inward motion of its heel to producea correspondingly greater outward movement of its left end or point.Blade D is so formed that when its point is moved outward to its limitin the notches hereinafter described its heel still projects somewhatbeyond the circumference of the shaft, and when its point is moved backinto the slotas far asit will go the shoulder of its point next to theleft of the collar on the shaft C projects beyond shaft 0 about as faras the are of the eXte- 6 rior circumference of the sleeve B,hereinafter described, and the heel of blade D is correspondingly butslightly elevated, all substantially as shown. Both the shoulder andheel of blade D always project somewhat beyond the are of the shaft 0.The space be tween the shoulder of blade D and the collar on shaft 0 issufficient to allow the shoulder to move freely inside and clear of therightend plate K when in position, as hereinafter described, and thepoint of blade D is long enough to reach and engage the extreme lefthandcounting-wheel when in place, as hereinafter described. The sleeve B hasabout th'ree-twentieths of its circumference cutaway longitudinally, asshown, and is large enough to easily receive the rock-shaft O in itsbore, and is long enough to reach into the recesses in the end plates Kwhen in position, as hereinafter described. The counting-wheels A aresubstantially similar, and there may be any number of them. Each wheelhas the numerals from O to J, inclusive, at equal intervals around itsexterior periphery, and is made hollow, as shown, its interior peripheryor bore being large enough to permit it to be easily passed over andupon the outside of the sleeve 15 and turn easily thereon. The bore ofeach wheel is divided into ten notches opposite the several figures onthe exterior 5 periphery. Each notch extends from end to end of thebore, of uniform width and depth, and the front side (meaning the sidewhich precedes as the wheel is turned when in place on the sleeve B) ofeach notch is in or nearly in a plane passing through the axis of theshaft 0, while the rear side of each notch stantially as shown.

forms an acute angle with the front side. Nine of the notches are ofshallow. depth, while the notch opposite the 0 is much deeper than theothers, all being substantially as shown. The ring-lever G is formedsubstantially as shown, one of its short arms being in line with and theother at right angles to its long arm. Its ring is made large enough tosurround the shaft O and pass over and cover the heel of the blade Dwhen the heel is projected to its limit beyond the circumference ofshaft C. The position of the lever G is on the shaft 0, to the right ofand between the collar on shaft 0 and the arm F, as shown, and theprojecting heel of blade D is always covered and engaged by the ring ofG. The arm F is formed substantially as shown, and is of the same lengthas each of the short arms of G, and is made fast to the right end of theshaft 0 perpendicular to the plane of the slot in C and the movement ofthe blade D. Arm F is pivoted to one of the short arms of G,substantially as shown, so that G moves easily on the pivot. F maybepivoted to either of the short arms of G, accordingly as it is desiredto operate the machine by aconnecting-rod or other device movinghorizontally or perpendicularly, or according to the position in whichthe machine is placed. Arm F and lever G form acompoundlever operatingthe shaft 0, while as to the blade D, F is a fulcrum for lever G. Thearm E is formed sub stantially as shown, and its position is on the leftend of the rock-shaft C at right angles to the arm F and toward the rearof the machine, as shown. Arm F carries a small weight L, and its officeis simply that of a brake to keep shaft 0 still while the ring of thelever G is engaging with the heel of the blade D, as hereinafterdescribed. A spring friction clutch or ring would fulfill the samepurpose and be preferable in some cases. The compound spring H is formedin one piece, sub- It spans the exterior periphery of all of thecounting-wheels, clasping each wheel with friction only sufficient tohold the wheel still while the lever G is 'making its upward or reversemovement and is forcing the blade D against the rear side of the notchin the wheel, as hereinafter described. Spring H is fastened to the backof the outer case I, all substantially as shown. A separate spring foreach counting-wheel could be used; but the labor and expense ofconstruction and attachment would be much greater.

From the foregoing it will be observed that it makes no difference whatnumerals are at the reading-glass J; but in order to start at thebeginning place all the wheels A upon the sleeve B, so that the O (orzero) on each wheel is at the glass, as shown in Fig. 4, the deep notchbeing the O-notch. The machine then registers nothing, and is operatedas follows: Raise the long arm of the lever G as far as it will go,which will be until the blade D strikes the upper or rear side of theopening in the sleeve B. This brings us to the proper beginning of thelevers movement. It will be remembered that each notch is aboutone-tenth of a circle or thirty six degrees in width, while the openingin the sleeve is about three-twentieths of a circle or fifty-fourdegrees in width, so that this opening spans about one and one-halfnotches. l'lence blade D is now in line with the front half of the 1(one) notch of all the wheels. Now move the long arm of lever Gdownward. It swings upon the pivot whereby it is attached to the arm F,and as its ring covers and rests against the heel of the blade D thefirst result of the motion of G is to push the heel of blade D into theslot of the rock-shaft C and raise the long arm of blade D through theopening 111 the sleeve B to the bottom of the 1 (one) notch of the firstwheel on the right, which notch is so shallow that it prevents blade Dfrom engaging any wheel to the left of the first (or right) wheel, andthe downward motion of the long arm of G being continued its secondaryresult is to turn the rock-shaft O, carrying with it the blade D and thewheel, wlnch blade D is engaging until blade D strikes the front (orlower) side of the opening in the sleeve B and has turned the wheelone-tenth of a revolution and brought its numeral 1 in front of thereading-glass. Now reverse the motion of lever G and move its long armback to its upper limit. The wheel A, which has just been moved, is,together with the other wheels, held from reverse motion by the spring Hclaspin g its periphery. The pressure of the ring of lever G is takenoff from the heel of the blade D, and the rock-shaft O is turned back,carrying blade D with it. This brings the long arm of blade D againstthe rear or sloping side of the notch it just engaged, and as blade D isloosely pivoted to shaft 0 and moves easily its long arm is moved backinto the slot in shaft Ofar enough to clear the rear side of that notch.The reverse motion of lever G is only continued until the blade Dstrikes the upper (or rear) side of the opening in the sleeve B. Thiscompletes one movement of the lever G, during the first part of whichthe weight upon the arm E was useful in preventing any movement of therockshaft 0 until the blade D had engaged the 1 (one) notch in the rightwheel A. It will be observed that there is no spring connected with theblade D, it being operated solely by the ring of lever G pressing uponits heel, and thus moving its long arm into a notch, and then theturning back of the rock-shaft O, bringing the edge of the long arm ofbladeD against the inclined plane formed by the rear side of the notch,pushes the long arm of blade D hack into the slot in the rock-shaft, andthat these forces operate alternately upon the arms of blade D. Suchoperation of the lever Gbeing continued brings the nine digits on theright wheel successively in front of the reading-glass J, and then thenext dowir ward movement of lever G causes the blade D to engage withthe deep notch of the righthand wheel, which permits blade D to moveforward far enough to engage the 1 (one) notch in the next wheel to theleft, and the turning of the shaft 0, as before, carries both wheelswith it the one-tenth part" of a revolution and brings in front of theglass J on said second wheel the numeral 1 (one) and on the first wheel0, forming the number 10, and the operation being continued until thefirst two wheels on the right register 99 the next downward movement oflever G causes the blade D to engage with the deep notches of both thosewheels, which permit blade D to move forward far enough to engage the 1(one) notch in the next wheel to the left, and the motion beingcontinued as before the shaft 0 as it turns carries with it those threewheels the one-tenth part of a revolution, and the number 100 isproduced before the reading-glass J, and the operation may be thuscontinued for any number of wheels. The O (or zero) notch in each wheelis the only notch deep enough to let the blade D engage a wheel to theleft. hen two O-notches on the right are in line before it, D can engagethe third wheel to the left, and when three O-notches on the right areso in line D can engage the fourth wheel to the left, and so as to allthe wheels from right to left.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination of the rock-shaft, the blade carried by saidrock-shaft, the counting wheels or rings, and the actuating levermounted on said rock-shaft and having the arms F G, jointly adapted toactuate said shaft, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the rock-shaft, the blade pivoted within therock-shaft, the ring fitte'd on said rock-shaft and to which said bladeis pivoted, the rin g-end ed lever adapted to engage said blade, thecounting wheels or rings, and the slotted sleeve, substantially as setforth.

The combination of the rock-shaft, the blade pivoted within said shaft,the fulcrumring fitted upon said shaft and to which said blade ispivoted, the ring-ended lever fitting said rock-shaft, the second ringalso fitting the latter and pivoted to said lever, the counting wheelsor rings, and the slotted sleeve en compassing said shaft, substantiallyas set forth.

4. The combination of the rock-shaft, the blade pivoted within saidshaft, the fulcrumring fitted upon said shaft and to which said blade ispivoted, the ring-ended lever mounted on said shaft and pivoted to aring also arranged upon said shaft, the seriallynotched counting ringsor wheels, the slotted sleeve fitted upon said shaft, and the springadapted to engage the counting-wheels, substantially as specified.

SYLVESTER ONSLOlV GOULD.

Witnesses: I

MARK J. 'lovELL, JoHN O. McGRA'rH,

